Well, it was a great sunscreen and all, but I used up an entire bottle. Lo and behold, 8 ounces of sunscreen used over a period of 6 months. Just about every day - face and neck. I think I've been pretty consistent about using it.
After I finished the bottle, I thought, I could just buy another bottle of it. After all, it was pretty good. However, I've gotten several other samples of sunscreen from different places, so I thought perhaps I could try and look around to find potentially even better sunscreens. Also, because of John Su's posts on Inorganic vs Organic sunscreens in September-October of this year, I've decided to look more into inorganic sunscreens, which are supposed to be more stable and better for the skin (in the long-term) than chemical sunscreens, which have ingredients such as avobenzone, oxybenzone, and octinoxate. I won't go into the details of how/why inorganic sunscreens are superior to chemical sunscreens in many ways (John goes into a lot of detail about it, and did an extremely thorough analysis), but I will say that the article series has changed my perspective on sunscreens.
(I will link his articles below for those who are interested).
Anyway I decided to start up this series again, season 2 style, to test out new sunscreens and see how they are like.
So, thus, after that long introduction, behold, part 11 of this series.
Now, introducing...
MAC Studio Moisture Fix SPF 15
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| Photo source |
I received a sample of this product from a local M.A.C. store awhile ago. And how did I rate it?
First, ingredients list, according to Beautypedia:
Active: Zinc Oxide (6.7%), Octinoxate (3.5%)
Other: Water, Dimethicone, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Butylene Glycol, Silica, Isononyl Isononanoate, Glycerin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Cholesterol, Astrocaryum Murumuru Butter, Caffeine, Sodium RNA, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phytosphingosine, Barley Extract, Chinese Mushroom Extract, Thermus Thermophillus Ferment, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root (Chinese Root) Extract/Saccharomyces Lysate Extract, Yeast Extract, Wheat Germ Extract, Sucrose, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Polysorbate 20, Polysorbate 80, Squalane, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Steareth-21, PVP, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Cetyl Esters, Hexylene Glycol, Polyethylene, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Isohexadecane, Caprylyl Glycol, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Linoleic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Propylene Glycol Dicaprate, Fragrance, BHT, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin
A cursory look reveals that the active ingredient is zinc oxide, deeming the sunscreen an inorganic sunscreen. Good.
Now, just as a review, here are the qualities that I look for in a sunscreen:
John Su's articles on FutureDerm:
Are Inorganic Sunscreens Better Than Organic Ones? Part I: Irritation Potential and Aesthetics
Part II: Photostability, Permeability, and Photoreactivity
Part III: Toxicity
Part IV: Level of Protection & Practicality
Part V: Conclusions and Product Recommendations
Active: Zinc Oxide (6.7%), Octinoxate (3.5%)
Other: Water, Dimethicone, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Butylene Glycol, Silica, Isononyl Isononanoate, Glycerin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Cholesterol, Astrocaryum Murumuru Butter, Caffeine, Sodium RNA, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phytosphingosine, Barley Extract, Chinese Mushroom Extract, Thermus Thermophillus Ferment, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root (Chinese Root) Extract/Saccharomyces Lysate Extract, Yeast Extract, Wheat Germ Extract, Sucrose, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Polysorbate 20, Polysorbate 80, Squalane, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Steareth-21, PVP, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Cetyl Esters, Hexylene Glycol, Polyethylene, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Isohexadecane, Caprylyl Glycol, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Linoleic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Propylene Glycol Dicaprate, Fragrance, BHT, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin
Now, just as a review, here are the qualities that I look for in a sunscreen:
- Does not make me break out (my skin is combination oily)
- Doesn't feel greasy/cakey - even better than Coppertone's Oil-Free SPF 30
- Glides on smoothly
- Has a relatively high spf (30+)
- Affordable price
- Stable ingredients
- Glides on very smoothly
- Stays on the skin very well - for a long time
- Did not feel greasy or cakey
- Seems like a good primer - good for layering other makeup on top
- Did not melt off
- Has zinc oxide - a stable inorganic sunscreen
- Smelled pretty nice, similar to many of MAC's other skincare products (including its creme face wash)
- Did not make me break out
Cons:
- Low SPF rating (only SPF 15)
- Cost ($31 for 1.7 oz)
Neutrals:
- Smelled similar to MAC's cremewash (my review here)
Overall, what do I think of this sunscreen? Well, although I did not like MAC's cremewash (see my review here), I do think I like this sunscreen. It felt so natural, even, even more natural than the Coppertone SPF 30 that I liked a lot. The only concerns I have are about the low SPF rating (the United States FDA recommends a sunscreen with SPF 30 or above) and the cost ($31 for 1.7 oz). No wonder why MAC is a high-end makeup company and is considered to sell rather luxurious products. Well, I guess I won't be purchasing the full version of this product, at least as of now.
Have you guys/gals used this product before? If so, how did you like/dislike it? Leave a comment below!
Are Inorganic Sunscreens Better Than Organic Ones? Part I: Irritation Potential and Aesthetics
Part II: Photostability, Permeability, and Photoreactivity
Part III: Toxicity
Part IV: Level of Protection & Practicality
Part V: Conclusions and Product Recommendations
Past posts:
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